Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago deep dish pizza.  If you've never had it, you can't even begin to understand the delicious lie that it is.  It's not really a pizza... it's a monster.  If you've eaten one and you're not from Chicago, you went home and told all your friends and family how awesome it was.  And if you live in Chicago, you have your favourite... probably Giordano's (which is my favourite), or Gino's, or Lou Malnati's.  And if you're like me, you've lived in Chicago and moved... and sometimes late at night, when you're alone, you cry a little for some real Chicago deep dish pizza.  Well, after four years of living in California with only one visit home, I decided I had to make my own, because I couldn't bring myself to fork out the $50 to have it shipped to me frozen.  I researched different recipes, tried to find what sounded right to me, and I made myself one hell of a Chicago pizza!  In fact, I'm going to brag and tell you that I think it was better than some of the afore mentioned restaurants' pizzas!  I put a can of Coke there for size-reference.  ;)

If you're not familiar with a Chicago pizza... it's a thick crust, and the cheese goes on the bottom.  Then your toppings.  Then the sauce goes on top.  You can't eat it with your hands (unless it's leftover cold pizza the next day).  And you'd be hard pressed to eat more than two pieces at a time... one is pretty much enough.  Don't let this recipe intimidate you... it looks lengthy, but it's not too hard.  Really it's like this: mix part of the dough, let rise, add the rest, knead, let rise.  Punch it, let rise.  Add toppings.  Bake.  See... it's easy!  You just need a few hours for all the rising and baking (and a cast iron skillet or a deep-dish pizza pan).  And I apologize in advance... I made homemade marinara for this, and I always just wing my marinara, so I didn't consider writing down measurements for the recipe. :\  I will do this next time!

We were going to make this Saturday, but our guests' schedules worked better for Sunday... which happened to be Easter.  So we celebrated Zombie Day with pizza, chocolate, dice, and good company!  We tend to lean away from the traditions of the church... far, far away.  (Except that Justin said pizza is Italian, and the Italians were the ones who crucified Jesus, so in a way, it's quite befitting and following the church.)  And though there were a few excellent punk rock songs that would have fit this post well... Justin and I both thought that Bad Religion's "Don't Pray On Me" was the best song for this recipe.  It is on the album titled "Recipe for Hate" and surely someone is going to be offended for my non-interest in the Christian faith... so it really has all come together in the end!  Don't let your hate spoil your appetite though... this pizza rocks!  -jen

CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA

• 1/4 ounce packet Quick Rise yeast
• 1 and 1/4 cups lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup medium-grind yellow cornmeal 
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 1/2 cup olive oil , plus
• 1/2 pound Provolone, sliced 1/8" thick
• 1/2 pound Mozzarella, sliced 1/8" thick
• pizza toppings*
• 2 to 3 cups marinara
• 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

* If using Italian sausage, do not pre-cook it.  Add to pizza in raw form.  Suggestions for other pizza ingredients: chopped or sliced red onion, green onion, pepperoni, mushrooms, fresh garlic, green or black olives, fresh basil, sweet peppers, spinach - whatever!)

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes (I have a gas oven, so I set it in the middle of the stove top, towards the back. Or you can turn your oven to it's lowest heat, open the door all the way, and just set the bowl on the open door.)

Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, the cornmeal, salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil.  If using a stand mixer, first use mixing attachment to combine, then switch to dough kneader and run for 10 minutes.

If not using a stand mixer, stir the dough with a wooden spoon to combine.  Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. It will be a little sticky, but shouldn't stick to your hands. 

Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough and turn to coat on all sides.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean, damp, kitchen towel over the top.  Set the bowl in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. (For a slow rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let rise for 10 to 12 hours, returning dough to room temperature before using).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes. Coat a 14" cast iron skillet well with olive oil or butter.  (If using a 12" cast iron skillet, remove 1/4 of the dough and use for something else - pepperoni twists, cheesy garlic sticks, etc.)  Sprinkle a dusting of corn meal over the oiled pan.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides.  Let the dough rise in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place a layer of Provolone cheese on dough, then add a layer of Mozzarella.  Continue adding all remaining toppings in layers (except the olives, I sprinkle those on top of the sauce.)  If using raw sausage, I suggest tearing it into finger-tip size pieces to guarantee thorough cooking.  Gently ladle sauce to completely cover toppings.  Add grated Parmesan and olives.

Place in a 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, then turn heat up to 475 and cook an additional 15-20 minutes.  Crust should be golden brown and Parmesan should be golden.

Remove and let sit at least 20 minutes to allow the ingredients to firm up.  If you try to serve right away, you'll have a soupy mess that's impossible to serve. 

Southern Fried Dill Pickles & Veggies

Admittedly, the food inspired the music tonight, instead of vice versa.  I'm a huge fan of dill pickles, served in a number of ways.  Just wait until I post the recipe for my family's favourite holiday appetizers - pickles, cream cheese, and cheap ass lunch meat!  But I do love a good deep fried pickle.  Being a Southern thing, most people here in Northern California have never heard of them, let alone tasted one!  I'm going to assume the rest of the country (outside of the South) is equally in the dark, and I want to shine the light onto the shiny, greasy deliciousness that is the fried pickle!  And while operating the deep fryer, who better to belt it out in Southern punk rock fashion than one of my all time favourite punk bands, Avail. I. Love. This. Band.  I got to see them a number of times when I lived in Chicago, and they were the loudest, fastest, angriest shows!  I never left one without bruised ribs, stomped toes, and a kick or two in the head from crowd surfers.  Best shows ever!  I miss them. Here's their "Simple Song".  -jen

Back to the food... I like my batter really seasoned, and I find a lot of places don't season their batter much.  So you could definitely cut back on the seasoning if you're more of a plain-batter kind of person (but what fun would that be?)

BEER BATTER

• 1 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you'd like it)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 6-12oz ale
• vegetable or peanut oil for frying
• dill pickle slices (Vlasic makes "Ovals" which are huge slices, great for this!)

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 360-370 F.

On a plate, lay out two layers of paper towels.  Place pickles in single layer on towels and cover with another double-layer of paper towels, pressing down on the pickles so that the towels absorb the juice.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Begin whisking in the beer, a little at a time.  I like my batter to be a little on the thick side, so I'll use about 1/2 a bottle of the beer.  Some people like a thinner batter, which would require 3/4 to 1 whole 12oz bottle.  Start conservatively and remember you can always add more beer!

Dip the pickles in batter and gently place into oil, frying until golden brown (2-3 minutes).  I use plain, wooden, disposable chopsticks to flip the pickles half way through the cooking time.  Don't over-crowd the pan, fry in batches.  Let drain in a paper towel-lined dish. You can preheat your oven to 250 F and keep your early batches warm.  Serve with ranch dressing for dipping sauce.

Tip: You can re-warm leftovers in the oven or toaster oven.  Set to broil, lay leftovers in single layer.  Broil until crispy on top side, then flip.  In the toaster oven, it's 4-5 minutes on each side.  

The pickles are the front-left, next to the ranch (see, big Ovals).  The batter really works for anything.  I got a little crazy tonight and ended up making enough deep fried food for about thirteen people (instead of the two of us).  I did zucchini, crimini mushrooms, onion rings, cheese curds, and then I even tried stuffing pickled cherry peppers with the cheese curds.  They were a little sour and not as good as I thought they'd be.  I'll have to try my hand at some jalapeno poppers next time - those'll be great!

Baked Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

This recipe is one I decided to dedicate to our friend who recently had a baby and a birthday (you know who you are, Eric).  It's a quick, easy, and a deceptively fancy tasting dish (just like Eric! -jen).  The leg quarters could be substituted with any cut of chicken (and the sauce is awesome on pork as well so use what ya got).  The polenta could be rice, or pasta, or mashed potatoes so the main thrust of this post is the chicken and the sauce.  The cooking time is about 45 minutes for the chicken and the sauce reduces down during that time period so it's not hard to pull off at all.  I had to listen to The Descendents song "Sour Grapes", of course, because they kick ass.  Balsamic vinegar...sour grapes...though unlike the song lyrics, this sauce leaves anything but a "bad taste". -justin

BAKED CHICKEN WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION

• 4 leg quarters
• poultry seasoning
• adobo seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Season both sides of the chicken with a light dusting of poultry seasoning, adobo seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook in shallow baking sheet at 350 F for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, whisk together Balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, careful not to let it boil over.  Once it comes to a boil, lower heat to keep sauce at a gentle boil for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If your sauce is rising to the top of the pan, your heat is too high.  You want to get your sauce to be like molasses - thick but drizzleable (which is not a word).

You could serve the chicken with the sauce on the side, drizzle it over the chicken, or drizzle it over the plate and place your chicken atop it.

Served here with a garlic-herb polenta and steamed cauliflower.  (My attempt at better plating!  It's a work in progress -jen)

Rancid Recipes #1: Great Athenian Stuffed Chicken; Vegetable Couscous Salad; Olive Tapenade Crostini

The last month or so, I've been listening to a lot of music by Rancid - a great punk rock band that bridged the dirty ditches between different genres/styles of music and brought them all together with an incredible, original sound. We were lucky enough to catch bassist Matt Freeman's other band, Devil's Brigade, in San Francisco recently - it was a complete fluke that we were in town the weekend they were playing, so we jumped on that!  Lars Frederiksen (guitarst) even showed up and sang a song with 'em.  Needless to say, I've just been in a Rancid mood, and they've been on a lot of the play lists I've been listening to while cooking... and working, and driving, and reading, and sleeping.  Sometimes I gotta wear a band out, set 'em aside for a while, and then bring them back out for a comeback.

So I got this idea in my head... what if I took a Rancid album, and made a recipe for each track of the album that somehow related to the song?  I started with their self-titled 1993 album... but found it a little difficult, as it's hard to come up with any ideas other than Ramen noodles when listening to a song called "Rats In the Hallway". :\  Instead, I decided to switch to the 2003 album, "Indestructible", thinking there was a lot of mentioning of worldly places in that album; surely it'd be easier to come up with some recipes.  Track 1 proved to be very inspiring and I had all these amazing ideas for Greek food and NY Deli style food... but once I got to Track 2, I had absolutely nothing.

Naturally, I came to this conclusion: Fuck it.  ("Fuck it! Yes! That's your answer. That's your answer for everything! Tattoo it on your forehead!")  I decided to just find kick ass songs that inspired kick ass recipes, from any Rancid album, in no particular order. 

You might ask what the point of this project is, to which I would reply... "I dunno."  I love punk rock, and I love cooking.  Why shouldn't the two come together... in a dirty, sticky, angry, buttery mess?!  Just like that porn movie you watched last night.

Of course, I expect soon after I begin the project, this blog will go global.  I'll be offered my own Food Network show, which I will snidely turn down, though I may be inclined to accept a cookbook offer.  The talented men of Rancid will no doubt start begging to come over for dinner on a regular basis and hang with us, because that's just how I roll.  Soon enough, my food will inspire punk bands everywhere, I'll have to start my own band, Tim Armstrong will have to produce it...

Or... I'll just be satisfied if I can get five people to read the damn blog, let alone find someone who will actually try cooking one of the Rancid Recipes (which is probably not the most appetizing title to use in relation to food, but it gets the point across, and there's even alliteration.)

Well... without further unnecessary rambling... here is the first installment of my Rancid Recipes.  -jen

 __________________________________

Song Title:  Indestructible

Album:  Indestructible (2003)

Lyrics: "the great Athenians, they're not even from Athens"

I love this album!  It got a lot of criticism when it came out, but it's still my favourite Rancid album - I liked listening to the way the band evolved on this one.  Thinking of recipes for this song was a no brainer!  Greek food is awesome, and I even went so far as to do a little research on Athenian dishes (which is where I got the couscous idea from).  Being that the internet is full of incorrect information, I don't know if couscous is really a staple in Athens or not.  But I knew from the start I wanted olives involved... a butt load of olives.  I'm not claiming it's totally Greek - I used mozzarella cheese, definitely not Greek.  So really, my Great Athenian Stuffed Chicken's not even from Athens.  But it's Greek and Punk Rock inspired!  So you know it's going to be killer!

 GREAT ATHENIAN STUFFED CHICKEN

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 head roasted garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped 
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 tesaspoon minced garlic
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Chop the stem-end off of a garlic head and place on large square of aluminum foil, cut side up.  Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top, and fold the foil into a little pouch.  Roast at 500 degrees for 50-60 minutes.  Let cool.  Gently squeeze the whole head to squish the roasted garlic out.

Empty ricotta cheese into a large bowl.  Add roasted garlic, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, lemon zest, minced garlic, egg, and salt.  Stir to combine.  Mix in mozzarella and refrigerate 30 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat chicken breasts dry.  Place single breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound out until about 1/2" thick.  Repeat for the next 3 breasts.  Scoop about 1/4" of the ricotta filling into the middle of the breast and roll.  Place chicken seam-side down on a lightly greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-40 minutes, until juices run clear.  Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Punk Rock Tip #1:  Don't spill food on your boots!

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS SALAD

• 1 cup plain couscous
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Caldo de Pollo (or chicken bouillon)
• 1 cucumber
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 roma or plum tomato, diced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon's worth)
• oregano
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1/3-1/2 cup Feta cheese 

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring water, Caldo de Pollo, and olive oil to boil.  Stir in couscous and turn off the heat.  Cover and let sit for five minutes, until all the water is absorbed.  Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until cool.  Once cooled, add cucumber, broccoli, tomato, and lemon juice.  Sprinkle oregano and black pepper to taste and toss.  Mix in Feta cheese and serve at room temperature.

OLIVE TAPENADE CROSTINI

• 1 loaf of French bread
• 1/2 cup of muffuletta**
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 heaping teaspoon capers
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Provolone cheese

**I used Granzella's Muffuletta.  If you can't find a good Muffuletta, you can always use equal amounts of kalamata olives, green olives, and giardiniera mix to make your own quick muffuletta.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice french bread into 3/4"-1" slices.  Place on a cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil.  Toast for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees, until tops are just beginning to turn golden and crisp.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Turn the oven up to broil.

In a food processor, combine muffuletta, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, and anchovy paste.  Pulse until it's large chunks.  Add lemon juice and olive oil and pulse several more times until the tapenade is in small, spreadable chunks (but don't process too much or it will turn into a paste!)  Spread tapenade thinly over toasted bread.  Top each crostini with a slice of provolone cheese.  Broil for 1-1.5 minutes until cheese is melted.